YF's Listing Service

We've had some questions about our listing service from clients including a recent discussion in the forums. I'd like clarify some value points...

Every recreational transportation forum on the internet has an active, often vibrant classified listing section. In most cases, they have more listings than any of the dedicated listings sites. The reason for this is because forums naturally attract buyers looking to learn from the experience of owners. Examples of marine forums with active classifieds include The Hull Truth, Offshore Only, Scream & Fly, The Trawler Forum and others. In most cases, these forums have more listings - specific to topic - than any stand alone listing system on the internet.

These forums have put a big dent in the Boats Group business model which includes Boat Trader, YachtWorld, Boats.com, etc. Boats Group has resorted to using ad networks to supplement revenue which has been declining. Word on the water is Boats Group is looking to exit because the investment group behind their $850 million acquisition a few years ago is not seeing the expected ROI.

Many brokers will tout their social media following, but we know 3 things:

1. The majority of buyers don't use social media to find a boat. They use search engines!

2. Buyers use the internet to get educated. Forums are the premiere source of accurate, vetted information. AI was trained on forums!

3. Like other businesses that relied heavily on Facebook for followers, brokers are now scrambling to harvest email addresses because their social platforms are not generating the same level of interest anymore.

We only have a few listings at this point which is partially my fault. I never set up a merchant account and some folks are reluctant to mail a check. The upside to a limited number of initial listings is the exclusivity it provides. This has resulted in a ton of views to our current listings.

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